Opinion: Michigan needs data center moratorium until community benefits are secured
A former Flint school board member argues for a moratorium on data center construction across Michigan, citing concerns that disenfranchised communities like Flint are being excluded from critical discussions. The author advocates for legally binding Community Benefits Agreements to ensure projects provide local hiring, affordable housing, and environmental improvements.
Michael Clack, a former Flint school board member and community advocate, has voiced strong concerns that residents of Flint and Genesee County are being excluded from the ongoing debate surrounding the rapid expansion of AI data centers across Michigan. Clack, who is also a father and former educator, expressed his dismay at the lack of inclusive forums and transparent engagement from big tech and corporate utility companies.
Clack argues that while the AI boom drives these companies to build data centers, it should not come at the expense of historically disenfranchised communities and the state's vital natural resources. He supports a moratorium on data center construction, echoing calls from other public servants in Michigan. Clack emphasizes the need for corporations to engage with communities and enter into Community Benefits Agreements, which the U.S. Department of Energy defines as legally binding contracts ensuring public benefits in exchange for community support. These benefits could include affordable housing, local hiring, and environmental improvements.
He outlined key parties who should be included in such agreements: area residents, who seek thriving hometowns without compromising health or resources; labor unions, who deserve good-paying, sustainable, and safe jobs; and governing bodies at the city, district, and state levels, who must be informed, transparent, and represent the interests of the people of Flint.
Clack concluded by stating that if the people of Flint are not at the table for the development, operation, and accountability of these data centers, they will be negatively impacted by the decisions made.